General Information:
www.tokyopop.comTokyopop is a packed site. There is news to read, special events to attend, books, cine-manga, art manga, and videos.The release calendar helps you stay up to date. The collection can be browsed by genre or by age-rating. Download manga players for games like MBQ, Van Von Hunter, or Sakura Taisen.Need a place to submit your own “Fan Art” drawings? There is also a page especially made for librarians (or for teens to find a perfect review to show your own librarian in hopes of purchasing a new item for your home library).
Animemanganetwork.comThe Anime Manga Network has different anime, manga, and games available for purchase here. The items are often connected to E-Bay and other places to bid down the cost. There are links to websites or blog discussions about the item’s related topic, too.
Shonenjump.comShonen Jump is a great place to search for the issues missing from your manga collection. “The most popular manga magazine in Japan is Weekly Shonen Jump. VIZ has brought SHONEN JUMP to the U.S., featuring the most popular comics from the original Japanese edition. Each issue of SHONEN JUMP contains over 300 pages of manga, plus artist interviews, card games, videogames, toys and anime information.” (Shonen Jump is now available at the Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library!) This website includes news, contests, reader surveys, and downloads. Downloads include games, wallpaper, greeting cards, and actual online manga where you can the flip pages and read right to left!
www.animerica.comAnimerica magazine is a monthly anime and manga publication. You can read the table of contents for each month before deciding to buy. The front covers and tempting bits of articles are showcased. There are multiple links from this home page including: contests, fan art, a forum, the editor’s blog, and email newsletter.
Back to Teen LinksHistory:
A Capsule History of Anime“A Capsule History of Anime” by Fred Patten, a current writer for Animation Magazine."The first three Japanese cartoons were one-reelers of one to five minutes each, in 1917.” Patten walks through American-Style Studios and into Osamu Tezuka who started Mushi Productions in Japan. Patten describes Giant Robot and Outer Space Adventures, Miyazaki and Takahata, Original Anime Video, and on up through today.
Animeinfo.orgFrank Sanchez is co-webmaster of AnimeInfo.org and its main designer. He also works for an annual Anime Convention in the Midwest, Anime Central. He has been “an anime/manga fan for the past 10-12 years with varying tastes (including Ranma 1/2, Evangelion, Kenshin, and Nadesico, among others).” “Today, Japanese Animation (anime) is a recognized media and viewed by many as the top alternative to traditional 'cartoons' of the West. But how did this medium come to exist? What were the inspirations, the events, and the people that led to the rise of anime to where it is in the culture today? What were some examples of the most influential and groundbreaking anime? ... Frank leads you through a chronological study of Japanese animation, beginning with its inception all the way into the 21st century.”
wikipedia.orgArticle about Japanese animation, beginning with a historical timeline.The greatest feature of this article is the links to relevant definitions that relate to anime and manga.If you wonder what Bishōjo, Macha, Seinen, or Shōnen mean, click on dozens of links. Who were Yoshiyuki Tomino or Hideaki Anno? RahXephon and Inu Yasha?
News:
Animenation.com“Life, death, anime in between.” This site has news about new websites, releases, sequels, dubbing, and more. There are two dozen discussion forums and plenty of merchandise to buy including edibles. Ramune soft drinks and Pocky choices are waiting to be consumed.
Animenewsnetwork.comAnime News Network: the Internet’s most trusted anime news source presents articles, conventions, jobs, recent press releases, chat, search, forum, polls, contests, releases, reviews of DVDs and interactive games, and so much more. Lots to see.
ProtocultureProtoculture includes a magazine, eZine, eCatolog for subscriptions and products, anime guides showing full color covers, links of anime releasers and manga publishers, essays, editorials, conventions, Japanese culture, Japanese newspaper links, a blog about manga read in Quebec, and more.
Conventions:
Ohayocon“Ohayocon is an annual event (currently in Columbus OH) that features the best of Japanese culture, anime / manga, and related fields. Our goal has always been to create an inclusive environment and to have lots of fun in the process.” Ohayocon Six is scheduled to take place on January 6-8, 2006. Check out staff and volunteer opportunities.
OtakonOtakon is “the biggest and best celebration of Japanese animation, manga, J-pop, and east Asian culture in the world.” Events include anime, tournaments, concerts, fan-produced videos, karaoke, ota-chan, workshops and more. There are also volunteer opportunities available.
SugoiconSugoiCon 2005 will take place on October 28-30, 2005 at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center. It is considered “Cincinnati's premier Japanese animation convention!” There will be video and table-top gaming, panels, dance, cosplay, and more.
IkasuconIkasucon 2006: Cosplay contest, game shows, karaoke, dance, AMV contest, panels and workshops, and gaming. Check the website later in the year to find out about this convention.
TekkoshoconTekkoshocon 4: The Steel City’s Anime and Japanese Culture Convention, March 31 to April 2, 2006. tek.KO.sho noun: Steel Mill, steel industry. tek.KO.sho.con noun: A Japanese Animation Convention based in Pittsburgh,PA
www.fansview.comA fan’s view - anime convention schedule. International locations. Listings of guests of honor for nearly every convention. A section on car racing, too.
Marcon (Multiple Alternative Realities Convention)
The Midwest's Premiere Fantasy & Science Fiction Convention
May 26th - 28th 2006 (Memorial Day Weekend) at the Hyatt Regency in Columbus Ohio.
Japanese culture and news:
www.asahi.comThe Asahi Shimbun: Japan’s leading national English edition newspaper is joined by the International Herald Tribune of The New York Times on this website.The articles are in English and cover the daily news in Japan and overseas.
Theblackmoon.comThe Black Moon: art, anime, and Japanese culture. There is a blog, a section introducing the Kimono, film reviews, Japanese cooking with term glossary, and an annotated interesting links page.
Japanese language:
Japanese-Online.comJapanese-Online: online Japanese language and cultural resource community. This site provides “ free learning services to people who wish to study the Japanese language.” Interact with English and Japanese speakers as language exchange partners. There are lessons for beginners available as well as lessons in grammar, math, and multimedia. There is a public discussion forum. The page of useful links include computers/ software, media, dictionaries, and Japanese search engines.
Bi-Directional DictionaryPSP’s Bi-Directional English Japanese Dictionary has a simple search box. Your computer must support Japanese text. The results are limited.
Japanese to English DictionaryJapanese to English Dictionary. Type in either a Japanese or an English word and you will get a translation. Results are rich. The main search box is the best place to start, just make sure you have chosen the right language. It may be easier to view the page “without colors,” and option at the top. Much of the site is very advanced and some of the features may be of more interest to scholars (ex. a searchable database of kanji information).
Anime blogs:
Sea Slug Team“The origin of the blog’s name stems from Azumanga Daioh episode 3, when the girls are dividing into basketball teams and Ayumu Kasuga, aka Osaka (春日歩「大阪」), declares that their team will be the Sea Slug Team. This blog started sometime in January 2004 as a collaboration between three friends: Ender, Kabitzin, and Kungfucius.” Reviews of Bleach, Gundam Seed, Naruto, Mahou Sensei Negima, Suzaka, Yakitate Japan, and a searchable list of dozens more show images and accompanying text.
David's LifeDavid Maduram is an MD/PhD student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign researching cancer.One section of his blog includes his own anime reviews (with grades) and in alphabetical order. Some examples include Bakuretsu Tenshi, Chrno Crusade, Full Metal Alchemist, Naruto, and Samurai Champloo episodes. Anyone who disagrees with Maduram’s reviews can post comments on the same pages. This blog also other unusual interests like a diagrammed section on “Critical Vein & Nerve Centers” identifying “the weakest points of the human body.”
Design Chronicle
Memento categories:
Anime,
Games,
Japan,
Live Action,
Manga,
Miscellaneous,
and Music.
The site is divided up by Recent Entries, Current Anime Series, Completed Anime
Series, Postponed Anime Series, and Archives by month.
The word kongetsu 「今月」 “literally means ‘This Month’. The Kanji is composed of two character, 「今」 - Ima, which means Now and 「月」 - Getsu/Gatsu/Tsuki which literally means Month or Moon .” This blog is written by the same author and linked from Memento detailing his journeys in Japan. Colorful pictures of trains, city nights, traditional costumes, and more.
AnimeSuki“Welcome to BitTorrent @ AnimeSuki.com! This site tries to provide a complete and convenient overview of links to all unlicensed English anime fansubs available through the P2P file warming application BitTorrent.” Site authored by Bram Cohen. There are dozens of anime discussion forums to choose from. Downloads available and a helpful search box.
Marla PalermoMarla Palermo, a 23 year old female blogger. She includes anime and manga reviews. She has many other interests like Jane Austen, Robert Frost, My Little Pony, and spelling.
Nausicaa.netNausicaa.net is a fan’s website about Hayao Miyazaki, one of Japan's foremost animation writer/directors, as well as his studio and colleagues.
Extras:
Anime Cubed.comAnime Cubed: anime pictures and anime wallpaper, films, music videos, reviews, and more. Read about manga artists, genres, notable works, the "large eyes" style, and examine the terminologies.
Anime WallpapersAnime wallpapers are listed in alphabetical order. Each name seems to have a couple of choices.
Animelyrics.comAnime lyrics search by series, song name, lyric keywords, or Japanese romaji
Theotaku.comNice RSS feeds to other anime sites
Compiled by Helena Richardson 8/05